Few studies address feedback and teaching methods that lead to good writing development in primary school. The purpose of this thesis was to contribute knowledge about the teaching of story writing in primary school through a learning study in which peer feedback was implemented. The research questions guiding this thesis were: What are the critical aspects of the learning object?, How can these critical aspects be highlighted in teaching to make the learning object visible? and In what ways and with whom does scaffolding occur in story writing? To collect data for the study, qualitative methods such as structured observation, collected student narratives and worksheets from peer feedback were utilized through a learning study based on variation theory and complemented with sociocultural concepts. The results of the study showed that few students revised their stories after peer feedback was implemented. Furthermore, the critical aspects of the learning object identified in the study were the use of punctuation, basic writing rules and chronological order. The critical aspects could be highlighted in teaching to make the learning object visible through modeling and working with peer feedback. To support story writing, teachers could offer students scaffolding through support images, asking questions, providing feedback and modeling. However, the results also indicated insufficient scaffolding where teachers provided feedback that did not meet the students' needs. Finally, students could become ‘the more competent peers’ for each other by acting as role models and supporting each other by actively interacting and sharing explanations and thoughts.

This dissertation presents a study on the primary school learners, attitudes on Mathematics learning in the Groot Letaba Circuit of Mopani District in Limpopo Province. Performance in Mathematics by students has persistently been poor. This study sought to investigate the primary school learners’ attitudes on Mathematics learning. The poor performance of learners in many schools in the Groot Letaba Circuit motivated the researcher to conduct this study. The situation is worsened by the inability of the heads of department and principals to guide and support educators. An exploratory qualitative case study research design was adopted for the study. The target population was 33 respondents, which comprised of five teachers and 28 learners from grade one to seven selected schools in Groot Letaba Circuit. The data for the research was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that many learners have negative attitudes towards learning Mathematics and that there are many factors which contribute to the negative attitude. Improving on these factors and sensitization of the local community to discard practices which prohibit student’s effective participation in learning Mathematics could improve performance in Mathematics. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will give curriculum developers new insights into emerging issues on performance and influence the Ministry of Education on policy formulation. Learners are also expected to benefit from the findings; because improved Mathematics performance will give them opportunities to pursue science related courses in higher institutions of learning and middle level colleges. The situation is worsened by the inability of the heads of department and principals to guide and support educators. Finally, the researcher gave general recommendations for improving the attitudes of learners towards learning Mathematics. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

O ensino de ciências baseado em investigação nas séries iniciais do ensino fundamental tem sido recomendado por muitos educadores, pelas academias de ciências de todo mundo e também pela Academia Brasileira de Ciências, que desenvolve o programa ABC na Educação Científica Mão na Massa. Este estudo se insere na temática de formação de formadores e foi realizado em um dos polos do programa, a Estação Ciência da Universidade de São Paulo, no projeto Mão na Massa - Iniciação Científica no Ciclo I realizado em parceria entre a Estação Ciência e a Secretaria Municipal de Educação de São Paulo (SME). O projeto teve como objetivo a implantação do ensino de ciências baseado em investigação em escolas municipais do fundamental I e envolveu dez Diretorias Regionais de Educação (DRE), cerca de oitenta escolas da SME e foi desenvolvido de 2006 a 2008. Consistiu na formação: de um formador de cada uma das Diretorias pela equipe da Estação Ciência, de um coordenador pedagógico de cada escola realizada pela Estação Ciência e pela DRE; dos professores do ensino fundamental I, que foi realizada pelos coordenadores pedagógicos na própria escola e dos alunos desses professores nas aulas de ciências. Acompanhamos e analisamos o grupo de formação continuada de formadores das Diretorias Regionais de Educação coordenado pela equipe da Estação Ciência. Realizamos pesquisa qualitativa com observação participativa dos encontros, entrevistas e análise de documentos, relatos e avaliações. A investigação e estudo da literatura mostraram que na formação continuada de formadores, está envolvida uma gama complexa de ações que requer diferentes saberes que são mobilizados durante o desenvolvimento de sequências didáticas formativas e favorecidas por estratégias que possibilitam interações dialógicas, dentre os quais destacamos: planejamento e desenvolvimento de situações de formação; conhecimento disciplinar em ciências; reflexão sobre a prática de formação e constituição de espaço coletivo e colaborativo. / Inquiry based science education for first years of schooling has been recommended by many educators, by Academies of Science of many countries, including Academia Brasileira de Ciências, which sponsors the programme ABC na Educação Científica Mão na Massa. This study of training of teacher trainers was undertaken in this program, in a joint project of the Municipal Authority for Education of the city of São Paulo with the science Center Estação Ciência of Universidade de São Paulo. The Project, Mão na Massa Iniciação Científica no Ciclo I, aimed at establishing inquiry based science education in aproximately eighty municipal elementary schools belonging to ten different Regional Education District, during the years 2006 to 2008. Training was offered by Estação Ciência to one teacher trainer in each Regional District and to a Pedagogical Coordinator of each participating school. These Pedagogical Coordinators also received training from the Regional District teacher trainer and were responsible for the training of teachers in their own school; the teachers then taught science in their classes. We followed the training work of the Estação Ciência team with the ten Regional District trainers, by qualitative research including observation and participation in meetings, interviews and examination of documents, reports and evaluations. Study of pertinent literature and the research showed that professional development for teacher trainers includes a series of complex actions which requires a variety of abilities and knowledge, which are used during training sequences and helped by strategies which favour dialogical interactions. We emphasize four of these: planning and development of training situations; understanding science concepts and practices; reflection about training practices; and establishment of an atmosphere of collective collaboration in the training group.

本研究之目的在探討國小兒童的「人格特質」、「親子關係」、「同儕關係」與「憂鬱」之相關， 並以問卷調查方式進行。研究樣本為國小高年級兒童為對象， 共收集487 份有效樣本進行分析。本研究之研究工具為「兒童青少年憂鬱篩選量表」、「國小學童人格特質量表」、「親子互動關係問卷」及「國小學童同儕互動關係量表」。數據資料以敍述性統計、t 檢定、單因子變異數分析、皮爾遜積差相關， 及多元逐步迴歸進行分析等。研究主要發現如下： 一、目前國小兒童的憂鬱行為表現普遍水準偏向正面，即較無憂鬱。 二、不同性別、出生序、家庭結構之國小兒童，其憂鬱行為表現沒有顯著差異 三、全體國小兒童之「神經質」、「支配/指使」、「衝突/攻擊」、「競爭/忌妒」、「敵意/防衛」與其整體憂鬱行為表現間，皆存有顯著正相關的關係；而「嚴謹性」、「外向性」、「友善性」及「開放性」、「親子關係」、「合作/利社會行為」、「遊戲/聯合活動」、「信任/尊重」、「親密/依附」等正向同儕關係及「整體同儕關係」則與其整體憂鬱行為表現間，存有顯著負相關的關係。 四、「老么」、「雙親家庭兒童」之「外向性」與其整體憂鬱行為表現間，存有顯著負相關的關係。 五、「老大」、「單親家庭兒童」之「母親心理」親子關係與其憂鬱行為表現間，存有顯著負相關的關係。 六、「中間子女」之「信任/尊重」、「親密/依附」、「競爭/忌妒」及「敵意/防衛」等四項同儕關係上，與其憂鬱行為表現皆存有顯著相關。 七、「敵意防衛」同儕關係及「神經質」人格特質最能夠效預測全體國小兒童的「憂鬱行為表現」。 八、同儕關係的「競爭嫉妒」最能預測「男生」、「獨生子女」和「中間子女」兒童的「憂鬱行為表現」。 九、同儕關係的「敵意防衛」最能夠預測「女生」、「老大」、「雙親家庭」兒童的「憂鬱行為表現」 十、「神經質」人格特質最能夠預測「老么」、「單親家庭」兒童的「憂鬱行為表現」 本研究根據上述各項結果加以討論，並提出數點建議，以供後續相關實務工作及研究的參考。 / The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among personality traits, parental relationship, peer relationship and depression. The study adopted a method of questionnaire survey. The subjects of this study were 487 grade five and six elementary school students in Taiwan.Instruments used in this study were“Children and Adolescents Depression Screening Scale”,“Parental Interaction Relationship Questionnaire”,“The scale of interaction between peers for elementary students”. The study was analyzed by descriptive statist ics,T-tests,One-way ANOVA,Pearson product -moment correlation and multiple step-wise regression analysis. The main findings of this study were as fol lows: 1. The status of depressive tendency for most respondents is regarded as positive. 2. There were no significant differences in depression among these students according to their different gender , birth order and family structure. 3. There were significant positive correlations between “neuroticism”,” control / instigate”,” conflict / attack”,”competitive / jealous”,” hostile / defensive” peer relationship and “depression”.However, there were significant negative correlations between” conscientiousness”,”extraversion”, “agreeableness”,”openness”,” parental relationship”,”cooperative / prosocial behavior”,”game / joint activities”,”trust / respect”,”intimate/ attachment” peer relationship and “depression”. 4. Significant negative correlations were found between youngest birth order and parents-family child’ extraversion and depression. 5. Significant negative correlations were found between oldest birth order and single parent-family child’ mother mentality relationship and depression. 6. Significant correlations were found between the middle child’ ”trust /respect”,”intimate/ attachment”, ”competitive / jealous”,” hostile / defensive” peer relationship and depression. 7. ” hostile / defensive” peer relationship and “neuroticism” show prediction to the total score of depression. 8. ”competitive / jealous” peer relationship shows prediction to boy,singleton, and the middle child’ depression. 9. ” hostile / defensive” peer relationship shows prediction to girl,oldest birth order,and parents-family child’ depression. 10.“neuroticism” shows prediction to youngest birth order and single parent-family child’ depression. Finally, after discussion, the researcher proposed some suggestions for educational instruction and future studies.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

This dissertation presents a study on the primary school learners, attitudes on Mathematics learning in the Groot Letaba Circuit of Mopani District in Limpopo Province. Performance in Mathematics by students has persistently been poor. This study sought to investigate the primary school learners’ attitudes on Mathematics learning. The poor performance of learners in many schools in the Groot Letaba Circuit motivated the researcher to conduct this study. The situation is worsened by the inability of the heads of department and principals to guide and support educators. An exploratory qualitative case study research design was adopted for the study. The target population was 33 respondents, which comprised of five teachers and 28 learners from grade one to seven selected schools in Groot Letaba Circuit. The data for the research was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that many learners have negative attitudes towards learning Mathematics and that there are many factors which contribute to the negative attitude. Improving on these factors and sensitization of the local community to discard practices which prohibit student’s effective participation in learning Mathematics could improve performance in Mathematics. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will give curriculum developers new insights into emerging issues on performance and influence the Ministry of Education on policy formulation. Learners are also expected to benefit from the findings; because improved Mathematics performance will give them opportunities to pursue science related courses in higher institutions of learning and middle level colleges. The situation is worsened by the inability of the heads of department and principals to guide and support educators. Finally, the researcher gave general recommendations for improving the attitudes of learners towards learning Mathematics. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

O ensino de ciências baseado em investigação nas séries iniciais do ensino fundamental tem sido recomendado por muitos educadores, pelas academias de ciências de todo mundo e também pela Academia Brasileira de Ciências, que desenvolve o programa ABC na Educação Científica Mão na Massa. Este estudo se insere na temática de formação de formadores e foi realizado em um dos polos do programa, a Estação Ciência da Universidade de São Paulo, no projeto Mão na Massa - Iniciação Científica no Ciclo I realizado em parceria entre a Estação Ciência e a Secretaria Municipal de Educação de São Paulo (SME). O projeto teve como objetivo a implantação do ensino de ciências baseado em investigação em escolas municipais do fundamental I e envolveu dez Diretorias Regionais de Educação (DRE), cerca de oitenta escolas da SME e foi desenvolvido de 2006 a 2008. Consistiu na formação: de um formador de cada uma das Diretorias pela equipe da Estação Ciência, de um coordenador pedagógico de cada escola realizada pela Estação Ciência e pela DRE; dos professores do ensino fundamental I, que foi realizada pelos coordenadores pedagógicos na própria escola e dos alunos desses professores nas aulas de ciências. Acompanhamos e analisamos o grupo de formação continuada de formadores das Diretorias Regionais de Educação coordenado pela equipe da Estação Ciência. Realizamos pesquisa qualitativa com observação participativa dos encontros, entrevistas e análise de documentos, relatos e avaliações. A investigação e estudo da literatura mostraram que na formação continuada de formadores, está envolvida uma gama complexa de ações que requer diferentes saberes que são mobilizados durante o desenvolvimento de sequências didáticas formativas e favorecidas por estratégias que possibilitam interações dialógicas, dentre os quais destacamos: planejamento e desenvolvimento de situações de formação; conhecimento disciplinar em ciências; reflexão sobre a prática de formação e constituição de espaço coletivo e colaborativo. / Inquiry based science education for first years of schooling has been recommended by many educators, by Academies of Science of many countries, including Academia Brasileira de Ciências, which sponsors the programme ABC na Educação Científica Mão na Massa. This study of training of teacher trainers was undertaken in this program, in a joint project of the Municipal Authority for Education of the city of São Paulo with the science Center Estação Ciência of Universidade de São Paulo. The Project, Mão na Massa Iniciação Científica no Ciclo I, aimed at establishing inquiry based science education in aproximately eighty municipal elementary schools belonging to ten different Regional Education District, during the years 2006 to 2008. Training was offered by Estação Ciência to one teacher trainer in each Regional District and to a Pedagogical Coordinator of each participating school. These Pedagogical Coordinators also received training from the Regional District teacher trainer and were responsible for the training of teachers in their own school; the teachers then taught science in their classes. We followed the training work of the Estação Ciência team with the ten Regional District trainers, by qualitative research including observation and participation in meetings, interviews and examination of documents, reports and evaluations. Study of pertinent literature and the research showed that professional development for teacher trainers includes a series of complex actions which requires a variety of abilities and knowledge, which are used during training sequences and helped by strategies which favour dialogical interactions. We emphasize four of these: planning and development of training situations; understanding science concepts and practices; reflection about training practices; and establishment of an atmosphere of collective collaboration in the training group.

No description available.

School counselors need to advocate and act as an ally for all students. Safe Space, a training designed to facilitate competency for working with and serving LGBTQ youth (i.e., LGBTQ competency), has received increased attention in the field of school counseling. However, limited empirical support exists for training interventions such as Safe Space, with only one study to date examining its effectiveness for graduate psychology students (see Finkel, Storaasli, Bandele, & Schaefer, 2003). This study used a randomized pretest-posttest control group design to evaluate and examine the impact of Safe Space training on competency levels of a sample of school counselors/school counselor trainees and to explore the relationship between LGBTQ competency and awareness of sexism and heterosexism.